How to build worlds in sci-fi and speculative fiction: A beginner’s class with Sally Gales

When you read a fantasy or sci-fi novel, you might have wondered what lends itself to the authenticity of the story. Is it the intricately detailed setting that is not merely a backdrop to the characters’ action, but is itself a central character? Could it be the ensemble of characters with unique backstories that add weight to the plot?

As an aspiring writer of sci-fi and speculative fiction, one of the most valuable skills you can sharpen is your ability to craft worlds that are believable, authentic and weighty. Far from being a simple landscape, your world needs to envelope character and reader alike, to help and hinder their journey to the triumphant - or bitter - end.

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